A man in Memphis, Tennessee, was accidentally shot by his dog after the pet triggered a loaded firearm while jumping on the bed, police said on Wednesday, March 12.
The man, who was sleeping alongside his partner, suffered a graze wound to his left thigh during the early Monday morning incident and was treated at a hospital.
According to the police report, the one-year-old pit bull, named Oreo, “got his paw stuck in the trigger guard and ended up hitting the trigger.” The type of firearm was not specified, but authorities classified the shooting as an “accidental injury.”
While gun violence is a major issue in the United States, cases of animals unintentionally firing weapons remain rare. In 2022, a German shepherd in Kansas fatally shot a 30-year-old man by stepping on a hunting rifle, and in 2018, a pit bull-Labrador mix in Iowa accidentally shot its owner in the leg.
The Tennessee victim’s girlfriend, who was not identified, told Fox 13 Memphis that she was asleep when the gun discharged.
“The dog is playful and likes to jump around, and it just went off,” she said.
Reflecting on the incident, she stressed the importance of firearm safety: “Keep the safety on or use a trigger lock.”
